The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 400: Report your favor on the golden stage

The fourteenth year of Chongzhen.

July 15th.

dawn.

Liaodong.

South of Rufeng Mountain.

The Ming army camp, which had always been quiet, gradually became noisy.

The sound of people and horses neighing mixed in the tent, mixed with the messy and hurried footsteps, breaking the tranquility of the early morning.

Hong Chengchou had a cold look on his face. He held his sword and held his belt, and walked towards the observation tower of the South Camp surrounded by his generals.

As they passed by, all the officers and soldiers in the camp showed fear on their faces and saluted and retreated.

Hong Chengchou climbed onto the high platform, and his already gloomy face became even gloomier, almost as if water was dripping out of it.

Cao Wenzhao and Liu Zhaoji followed behind Hong Chengchou. After seeing the scene clearly, they both frowned at the same time.

In the southwest of Rufeng Mountain, the densely packed Qing army flags almost formed a line in the field of vision.

Large groups of Qing cavalry were roaring across the plains, galloping towards the southeast.

The Qing army deployed its troops in the southwest, setting up a total of thirteen large formations, with about three thousand people in each formation.

In Hebei, a large number of Qing troops were crossing the river and heading south to the battlefield.

Waves of dizziness came over Hong Chengchou, and he felt his vision beginning to blur.

Hong Chengchou's face was pale. He clenched his teeth, one hand tightly grasped the sword at his waist, and the other hand tightly grasped the railing of the observation deck in front of him.

At this moment, when he saw the movements of the Qing army, Hong Chengchou realized that he had made a huge mistake, a fatal mistake.

Six days ago, Huang Taiji led reinforcements to the outskirts of Jinzhou City.

According to intelligence gathered over the past few days, the Qing army originally had more than 60,000 combat troops on the Songjin front.

The spies outside the Great Wall and the night watchmen jointly report the comprehensive information.

Huang Taiji arrived with 60,000 troops. Minus the casualties, the Qing army still had a full 110,000 troops.

Moreover, these 110,000 people were all combat soldiers, and the civilian laborers who followed the army were not included.

At this time, Hong Chengchou only had more than 80,000 soldiers available.

This also included the more than 15,000 troops led by Zu Dashou who were trapped in Jinzhou.

The eight towns have a total of 130,000 soldiers and horses, but there are too many places that need to be defended, so it is naturally impossible to concentrate them all in one place.

In addition, Hong Chengchou was able to command the following troops:

Cao Wenzhao from Zhongxie Town, Bai Guangen from Dongxie Town, and Tang Tong from Miyun Town.

Yang Guozhu from Xuanfu Town, Liu Zhaoji from Liaodong Town, and Jiang Ge from Datong Town.

Ma Ke from Shanhai Town and Wu Sangui from Ningyuan militia.

Including the Du Biao Battalion directly led by Hong Chengchou, there were nine battalions in total, with a total of 65,000 combat soldiers.

The Qing army surrounded Jinzhou and released about 30,000 people, but there were still nearly 90,000 people on the front line.

In terms of military strength, the Ming army was already at a disadvantage, and the soldiers were therefore in panic.

Because of this, Hong Chengchou concentrated his forces as much as possible to prepare for the subsequent attacks by the Qing army.

Yesterday morning, without any news, a large number of civilians and troops from the areas controlled by the Qing army entered Jinzhou.

Afterwards, the Qing general Ying'erdai led three thousand elite cavalry to station at Changling Mountain, southwest of Rufeng Mountain.

At that time, Hong Chengchou realized that something was wrong, but the pressure from the Qing army in the front was too great, so he only sent one battalion to protect the flank.

And now Hong Chengchou has tasted the bitter fruit of what he had sown.

Hong Chengchou tightly grasped the sword at his waist, his face livid, and turned around and walked down the observation deck.

Immediately afterwards, the rapid sound of war drums rang out from the Ming army camp.

With the waving command flags and the galloping cavalry, the nine battalions of Ming troops stationed between Rufeng Mountain and Songshan City were suddenly in an uproar.

A large number of Ming troops swarmed out of the tents, and the flags of the four generals Cao Wenzhao, Wu Sangui, Bai Guangen and Liu Zhaoji appeared on the battlefield.

Everyone knew that a bloody battle was inevitable.

……

"The three battalions of Jiannu cavalry totaled 10,000 cavalrymen. They passed the lime kiln and went south to capture Xiangyintun, besieging our coastal fortress."

In the Ming army camp, all the generals were sitting in the central tent.

Hong Chengchou sat on the first seat, quietly listening to the report from Ye Bushu.

All the news showed that their situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable.

The Qing army used Jinzhou as a starting point and wanted to open its arms to encircle them in Songshan, preventing them from leaving.

There were very few troops left behind in the rear, and they were simply unable to resist the fierce offensive of the Qing army.

Intelligence from the front line indicated that the Qing army had really made up its mind this time.

In previous battles of the Qing army, officers and soldiers valued the lives of the Manchu soldiers very much and would not easily use them for attacking strongholds. Instead, they would often let the Mongolian and Han soldiers fill in the lines of attack.

But now, the Qing army is launching an attack at all costs.

This is also the reason why the rear line of defense collapsed so quickly.

"The Jiannu have mobilized a large number of civilians from Jinchang Fort on Nv'er River along the line of Wangbao Mountain, Zhai'er Mountain and Changling Mountain to dig deep trenches from north to south."

Hong Chengchou looked gloomy and his heart was in turmoil, but he had to force himself to remain calm.

His heart was filled with panic, and a huge amount of fear was piling up in his chest.

The war has come to this point, how could he not know what Huang Taiji is thinking.

The Qing soldiers now dug trenches desperately without any regard for the consequences. From morning to night, they dug a trench from north to south from the west of Jinzhou to the south, through the passage between Songshan and Xingshan, all the way to Haikou.

He intended to rely on the trenches to cut off their connection with Ningyuan and completely trap his troops in Songshan.

At the same time, Huang Taiji moved his troops to the west side of Jinzhou and sent troops to attack Rufeng Mountain.

The Qing army mobilized more than 40 red cannons and nearly 100 artillery pieces of various types to attack Rufeng Mountain, launching another round of fierce bombardment on the mountain.

In order to fight for Rufeng Mountain, the Qing army left more than 500 corpses on that day, and even threw in precious guard camps in the first wave of attack.

The defense line of Rufeng Mountain was almost collapsed. The defenders fought desperately. Hong Chengchou mobilized the Du Biao Battalion to provide assistance and was able to repel the Qing army's offensive.

Hong Chengchou was in a state of anxiety. During the day, Cao Wenzhao and other generals from the four towns led their troops to attack. Each town fought desperately, and as many as eleven officers including the rank of lieutenant general and guerrilla commander were killed in the battle.

However, despite their best efforts, they were unable to break the Qing army's encirclement.

The Qing army had already made a complete desperate move. Huang Taiji ordered that anyone who dared to waver and retreat would be executed immediately and his family would be implicated as well.

The Qing army generals had no choice but to fight to the death.

When Cao Wenzhao returned to the camp after the battle, he removed thirteen arrows from his heavy armor, found nine knife marks, three spear wounds, and killed nearly a hundred armored servants and cavalrymen.

The other three towns also suffered heavy casualties, with many servants lost.

Liu Zhaoji first went through the battles of East and West Shimen, then the battle of Rufeng Mountain, and then today's battle.
After returning to the camp and counting the soldiers, he found that there were only a hundred servants left under his command, and only seven clan members left. He could not hold back his tears.

He said: "I am ashamed to see my aunt and uncle, and I feel ashamed to see my uncles and uncles."

The generals of various towns looked at each other in silence. Like Liu Zhaoji, they had lost many servants under their command, and many of their clan members had also died on the battlefield.

The atmosphere in the central military tent was depressing.

Now the Qing army has basically completed the division and set up strongholds in various important locations, basically isolating them from Ningyuan.

The Qing army mobilized a large number of people and brought almost all those who could be recruited.

This time, the Qing army not only recruited the Mongolian tribes and Han troops in the country, but also recruited a large number of civilians from Korea.

In just one day, the Qing army had dug a very long trench.

In another day, the Qing army would be able to dig the trench to the seashore.

By then, they would really be trapped and die in Songshan.

The generals of each town are not clear about the current situation in the country.

There is no possibility of summoning reinforcements to rescue them. They can only rely on themselves in the battlefield outside the pass.
Hong Chengchou's eyes were sinister. He pressed his hands on the armrests of the chair, supporting his body with difficulty, and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"The excavation of the slave trench is now more than halfway complete. It will be completed in one to two days."

Hong Chengchou knew that he had made a wrong judgment this time, and the balance of victory and defeat had gradually tilted towards the Qing army.

It's not that he hasn't made mistakes. He has made many mistakes in the past.

But these mistakes can be forgiven and made up for.

The mistake he made this time led to the imminent defeat of a war that depended on the fate of the country. Hong Chengchou was filled with fear, his hands trembling uncontrollably, he could only sit on a chair and cover his trembling body with his wide sleeves.

The best troops of the Nine Borderlands and China's food and fodder were all thrown away, and no one was able to continue the resistance, and the temples and shrines were reduced to ruins.

If Songjin was defeated, Hong Chengchou would be a historical sinner and would be nailed to the pillar of shame forever.

If the scene of the sinking of Shenzhou happens again in the future...

"You all already know about the fall of Bijia Mountain..."

Hong Chengchou gripped the armrest of the chair and spoke.

At dusk, the Qing general Ajige led his troops to attack Nanhaikou, and suddenly went south to capture the Haicang Bijia Mountain where grain was stored.

The heavy casualties caused by successive battles had already caused the morale of the Ming army to gradually decline.

Now all the food and grass in Bijia Mountain have been lost, the retreat route has been cut off, the Qing army has won victory after victory, and the soldiers in various towns are in a panic.

Hong Chengchou looked at the generals in the tent and spoke solemnly.

"Now the enemy's reinforcements have arrived, and the old and new troops are taking turns to attack and defend. The only thing we can do now is to fight quickly. All of you should order your troops to fight hard, and I will take up the responsibility. Whether we can break the siege depends on this one move."

The 桴 is a drumstick.

What Hong Chengchou said, "I will personally hold the drumsticks and fight," means that he was ready to take part in the battle himself.

The current crisis is difficult to resolve, but perhaps a desperate battle can give us a chance to survive.

The Qing army is now scattered, and most of the soldiers have come all the way from thousands of miles away.

Now the morale of the army is still there. The successive victories and the results achieved in the battles along the way have made the soldiers in various towns no longer afraid of the Qing army as before.

The myth of the Qing army's invincibility in field battles has been broken.

If we take this opportunity and launch a direct confrontation, there may still be a glimmer of hope.

Hong Chengchou's words were not confident at all, and several military supervisors were all indifferent and silent at this time.

Hong Chengchou has always been autocratic and has ignored their suggestions.

Someone had previously reminded that the Qing army might attack Changling Mountain and cut off the food supply route, but Hong Chengchou did not accept the advice.

Now that defeat is apparent, the responsibility naturally needs to be borne by Hong Chengchou.

Hong Chengchou is asking now. If he answers the question, whether he lives or dies, it will probably be recorded in history books in the future.

What happens before death is important, and the reputation left after death is also important.

Except for Cao Wenzhao, the generals of each town also avoided Hong Chengchou's sight.

Hong Chengchou turned his gaze to Zhang Ruoqi and asked in a coercive tone.

"What do you think the current situation should be like, Zhang Jianjun?"

Zhang Ruoqi was Chen Xinjia's confidant. He was sent by Chen Xinjia to urge the army to fight, and then he followed the army all the time.

"This……"

Zhang Ruoqi looked up at Hong Chengchou, but as soon as he met Hong Chengchou's gaze, he quickly lowered his head.

There was no other reason, it was just that Hong Chengchou's expression was too scary.

"General Zhang usually doesn't have a lot of ideas, but why does he dare not speak when faced with a crisis?"

Hong Chengchou's eyes turned red and he said with gritted teeth.

Zhang Ruoqi avoided Hong Chengchou's sight, and his heart was filled with fear.

If the army is defeated and falls into the hands of the enemy, it would be a fate worse than death.

Zhang Ruoqi gritted his teeth and said.

"The Jiannu have come all the way here, and most of them have not yet established a firm foothold. Now they have divided their forces widely, so there must be weak points along the way. It would be better to find the weak points and take this opportunity to concentrate and break out."

"Otherwise, once the Jiannu have finished digging trenches and formed a siege, it will be too late to evacuate."

"After breaking out, we can go back to Ningyuan to get food and fight again."

Hong Chengchou's expression was slightly serious. What Zhang Ruoqi said was indeed a method.

However, the Qing army was gathering at this time, and Huang Taiji was determined to encircle and annihilate them.

Can we really succeed in breaking through by concentrating our forces?

How could Huang Taiji not have anticipated the breakout?
I'm afraid Huang Taiji has already deployed ambushes along the line and set up a trap to wait.

Hong Chengchou said nothing, his eyes flickered and he was hesitant.

Inside the military tent, the generals from various towns were exchanging glances with each other.

During the military meeting, most of the generals agreed with Zhang Ruoqi's opinion and wanted to break out and return to Ningyuan instead of waiting to die.

Listening to the discussions and requests for retreat from the crowd.

Hong Chengchou's mood finally calmed down a little, and he gradually turned to the side of retreat.

If the decisive battle is lost, he will have to bear all the responsibility for the defeat.

To be honest, Hong Chengchou really did not dare to take on this heavy responsibility, his heart was already filled with fear.

"Everyone..."

Hong Chengchou raised his hand.

All the officers and soldiers in the military tent also stopped discussing with each other at the same time.

Everyone knew that Hong Chengchou had already made his choice.

Hong Chengchou looked at the generals in the tent, then calmed his confused mind and spoke in a calm manner.

"Considering the current situation, a hasty battle is indeed..."

Hong Chengchou's voice rang out in the tent, and the expressions of all the officers in the tent relaxed a little.

It seems that Hong Chengchou's choice is to withdraw his troops. They don't need to fight a decisive battle with the Qing army now.

"Supervisor."

However, before Hong Chengchou could finish his words, he was interrupted by a voice of "Governor".

When the generals in the tent looked in the direction of the voice, Cao Wenzhao had already stood up from the first seat on the right.

"In today's situation, life and death are just a thin line away."

"If our army chooses to withdraw at this time, it will undoubtedly play into the hands of the Jiannu."

Cao Wenzhao looked at Hong Chengchou with a calm look, a stern expression and a firm tone.

"I think the governor's words about a decisive battle are the correct answer."

As Cao Wenzhao finished speaking, the expressions of the officers and officials in the central military tent kept changing.

As the commander-in-chief of the relief campaign, Cao Wenzhao was awarded the rank of general by the imperial court when he was assisting Liao. His status was very high.

Among all the military generals in the country today, only Zu Dashou and Chen Wang have the same status as Cao Wenzhao.

Chen Wang was previously a servant of Cao Wenzhao.

Cao Wenzhao had a wide range of contacts in the court, and almost everyone had to give him some face.

Now that Cao Wenzhao has suddenly stood up and made pro-war remarks, even if everyone refuses, they still need to weigh their arguments.

However, while everyone was still thinking about how to persuade him, Cao Wenzhao had already walked into the tent.

Cao Wenzhao straightened his back, raised his head slightly, and bowed lightly to Hong Chengchou.

At this moment, Cao Wenzhao was no longer as humble as before.

Cao Wenzhao turned around, looked at the generals and officers in the tent, and said in a cold voice.

"There is still a glimmer of hope if we fight to the death, but retreating will lead to eternal damnation."

"Since the three armies came out of the pass to engage in battle with the enemy, they have fought bravely and risked their lives. What is their purpose?!"

Cao Wenzhao clenched his fists, stared coldly at everyone in the tent, and said in a cold voice.

"His ambition is to recover our country's land, his ambition is to wipe out our country's shame!"

"If we don't even have the courage to fight, how can our descendants look at each other?"

Cao Wenzhao looked around at everyone in the tent and spoke in a serious tone.

"Now the Jiannu have mobilized all their troops from across the country, including all the young and strong men."

"Even if we are defeated this time, as long as we can kill and injure their people."

"It can still ensure the safety of our Great Ming Mountains and Rivers."

"Let my country and people live in peace and tranquility!"